But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 NIV
The Lord is faithful. In the New Testament, the title of Lord is given to Jesus. Jesus is faithful. We can count on Him. He will never let us down. After this affirmation of Jesus’ faithfulness, Paul expressed two related ways in which Jesus is faithful: that we are strengthened and protected.
First, Paul says that the Lord will strengthen us. I like the idea of being strong. And not so much physical strength as the ability to endure. To keep going when the going gets tough. But Paul is not advocating personal strength here. In 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, he wrote about strength. Not his strength, but God’s power. Paul had learned that God’s strength worked powerfully within him when he was weak. And I believe he is expressing much the same thing here. Jesus will not make us strong in ourselves. But with the power He provides.
And, going along with that, He will protect us from the evil one. From the attacks of Satan and his agents, whether they be physical or spiritual. This is no guarantee that we will not suffer physical or material harm. In fact, it is likely that we will suffer if we are faithful to His call. But it is a guarantee that Jesus will bring us safely into His kingdom. Nothing will be able to separate me from the love of God (Rom. 8:35-39).
